organ

The London Tattoo Convention are the latest trying to charge bands to play - £300, no less. And they're after a lot of bands. We got offered and said No.

Glad to see this thread is still going strong. I've been absent for a while, sorting out nice things like leaving bad labels and finding new ones but I recently did a massive blog about Pay To Play on another site and it has caused quite a stir. Lots of punters have been in touch, unaware such a thing exists and some of the better promoters have appreciated it too.

People might be interested in reading it here http://www.uberrock.co.uk/features/84-s ... -this.html - I hope putting this is OK, Sean. I do mention Organ and your support against P2P.

Wish I'd remembered about the Tatt convention when I wrote it though - it only happened a couple of weeks back.

Anyway, a word of warning!

More than OK! Post the info where ever you want, please please do, this isn't about Organ, this is about telling bands (and people who pay to get in to these events) who don't know what the score actually is aboyt the rip off that is pay to play... there's so many of these promoters and venue people who will tell young bands that the only way to get anywhere is to pay to play... and we all know its bullshit

You bands who've experienced it need to shout about how wrong it is and how paying to play never ever got anyone anywhere, the more we have people shouting about it the better...

Post it up...

As for the London Tattoo convention, they were asking for some coverage only yesterday, don't think they'll be getting any now... Well out of order...

was gonna go to that, won'ts now...

300 quid pay to play at the London Tattoo convention, wonder if they throw in a free sucker tattoo for the bands who fall for it?

For 300 quid, let's hope they get a few piercings too.

UGH, there was a dreadful "tattoo convention" in Rhode Island. Bands were unanimously horrible, and My friend who is an actuall talented tattoo artist, said that she woudl never ever appear at a Tatt convention with bands ever again. Blanket statement,but it tells you that P2P has dreadful ramifications. Sad when there is icky P2P anywhere. Sadder when P2P drives out talented artists...

I was speaking to our old label today and they had been approached by LTF offering the same deal for their bands. They were pointed toward my blog Whilst nowhere near having the impact that your protests have had, Sean, my blog seems to have reached a bunch of people that never knew this sort of thing went on - which is great as they are even talking about boycotting such things!

Well if everybody shouts and every makes a stand and everyone says no and publicly tell these people why they're saying no and how wrong Pay To Play is then words gets out... its important that all bands, labels, gig going fans and decent promoters make a stand.

Nice one Zion... I'd go to the convention and get myself a Spit Like This Say No To Pay To Play tattoo if I wasn't boycotting the bar stewards...

Nice article you wrote there Zion...

Guilfest were true to their word though, they stopped charging 1500.00 like they promised they would... it was up to 2000.00 this year

Two grand?!!! That's crazy! From the blog, I heard about an Italian band that paid $7,500 to play a festival in Iowa, USA. Once they paid, their hour long main stage slot was moved to a 30 minute small stage slot and, ultimately, along with the whole festival, cancelled. Poor buggers haven't got their money back. Seems it's not a UK-centric problem.